Past Community Conversations
YCAPS-SPF Community Conversation (Fussa)
8 March 2024 - 18:15-20:30 (JST)
For over 30 years, China has sustained high-level growth of its defense budget without transparency, engaging in broad, rapid improvement of its military power in qualitative and quantitative terms with focus on nuclear, missile, naval and air forces. Bolstering these capabilities will reinforce China’s “Anti-Access/Area-Denial (A2/AD)" capabilities and lead to the establishment of operational capabilities further afield. Additionally, while implementing a development strategy of civil-military fusion across the board, China is striving to develop and acquire cutting-edge technologies that can be used for military purposes. These technologies (esp. artificial intelligence) include game changing technologies that would dramatically alter future warfare.
LCDR Ueno will address the security environment surrounding Japan and then speak about development and regulatory trends of AI weapons.
YCAPS-SPF Community Conversation (Misawa - Hybrid)
28 February 2024 - 17:45-20:00 (JST)
With the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Russia demonstrated that it poses a major threat to European security. However, what about in East Asia? This talk assesses the threat that Russia poses to Japanese security, not only in terms of military security, but also in terms of espionage and cyber security. James D.J. Brown, Professor of Political Science at Temple University, Japan Campus, will lead us in this discussion.
YCAPS-SPF Community Conversations Series (Iwakuni)
8 February 2024 - 17:45-20:00 (JST)
Amidst the flux of the rule-based world order, Japan’s public diplomacy, which relies solely on its cultural uniqueness, is inadequate. Professor Yasushi Watanabe of Keio University proposes new principles for an age where the diplomatic sphere is expanding from reality-shaping to agenda-setting and rulemaking. In this presentation, Professor Watanabe reviews the trajectory of and possibilities.
YCAPS-SPF Community Conversation (Sasebo)
25 January 2024 - 17:30-19:45 (JST)
In December 2022, Japan's three security documents were released. This document outlines Japan's new security policy, which calls for further strengthening of the Japan-U.S. alliance. One year will soon have passed since the documents were released. During the past year, maritime actions have been taken to strengthen the Japan-U.S. alliance based on this policy. This presentation will discuss how the JMSDF has been conducting exercises and trainings to strengthen the alliance and also to strengthen cooperation with like-minded countries, which are the twin pillars of the alliance, using "The Indo-Pacific Deployment 2023 (IPD23)" of the JMSDF in the Indo-Pacific as a case study. RADM Yasuhiro Kawakami (JMSDF), Ret. will lead us in this discussion.
Achieving a "Free and Open International Order (FOIO)": Japan's Strategic Messaging to the Indo-Pacific and Beyond
YCAPS-SPF Community Conversation (Okinawa)
20 January 2024 - 13:45-15:45 (JST)
Faced with threats from revisionist states, Japan currently promotes a “free and open international order (FOIO),” basing it on the rule of law among nations. The FOIO’s advocacy often overshadows the more familiar “free and open Indo-Pacific (FOIP),” which, illustrating Tokyo’s geostrategic reasoning, became a code for a rules-based regional order. Amid global security challenges, this lecture will focus on Japan’s evolving strategic messaging from FOIP to FOIO and its prospect of reaching the Indo-Pacific and beyond. Professor Kei Hakata of Seikei University will lead us in this discussion.
The Quad: Why Do We Need It as a Strategy to Sustain a Free and Open Indo-Pacific?
YCAPS-SPF Community Conversation (Yokosuka)
17 January 2024 - 17:30-19:45 (JST)
Since Prime Minister Shinzo Abe introduced the idea, four countries have promoted the QUAD. Why do we need it? As a strategy to sustain a 'Free and Open Indo-Pacific', the QUAD has a huge potential and decides order in this region. Dr. Satoru Nagao, a fellow (non-resident) at Hudson Institute, will lead us in this discussion.
YCAPS-SPF Community Conversation (Sasebo)
5 December 2023 - 17:30-19:45 (JST)
The emerging great power competition in the western Pacific has prompted gradual qualitative changes to the alliance structure in the region. Alliances are increasingly being regarded as a means to create military power. Japan, for example, has been upgrading its security strategies in order to strengthen the U.S.-Japan alliance. Moreover, the growing U.S.-Japan-South Korea trilateral security relationship as underscored in the Camp David Summit in mid-August illuminates these major changes in the way alliances are operationalized in the region. By examining this trilateral security relationship, this seminar will explore the evolving nature of the U.S. alliance system in East Asia as well as its implications for the region and beyond.
YCAPS-SPF Community Conversation (Iwakuni)
18 November 2023 - 12:30-14:45 (JST)
The Japanese tea ceremony, an icon of Japanese culture often depicted in a feminine image today, began as a masculine practice, at least in official spheres, around the 15th and 16th centuries. Deeply gendered, the tea ceremony has always been a self-empowering activity for ambitious social groups. This lecture overviews the history of the tea ceremony from its legendary birth in the feudal era to the present, with a special attention to modern times, exploring why it became women’s culture through the two historical moments: the Meiji Restoration in the late 19th century and Japan’s loss in World War II. Dr. Etsuko Kato of International Christian University, Tokyo, wil lead us in this discussion.
YCAPS-SPF Community Conversation (Okinawa)
15 November 2023 - 17:45-19:45 (JST)
Since 2021, China has formulated and started to implement the new “Territorial and Spatial Program” over its claimed territories and “jurisdictional waters”. Under this, it has been developing and installing new types of maritime observation and surveillance infrastructures as well as other related facilities in the South and East China Seas that can impact American supremacy in Maritime Domain Awareness in the long run. What are Chinese motivations? How fast will they spread to other waters in the world? Dr. Chisako T. Masuo of Kyushu University will lead us in this discussion.
YCAPS-SPF Community Conversation (Misawa)
4 November 2023 - 12:30-14:45 (JST)
Given its friendly relations with all the regional countries and beyond, Mongolia has been actively seeking to contribute to Northeast Asian security issues through multilateral dialogues since the late 1980s. Eventually, it has been playing an important role in peace and security in Northeast Asia in recent decades. Landlocked between Russia and China, Mongolia is perceived as small in terms of population and economic capacity but influential in terms of its proactive diplomacy and its glorious history. Mr. Otgonbaatar Byambaa, diplomat and First Secretary at the Embassy of Mongolia in Tokyo, will lead us in this discussion.
YCAPS-SPF Community Conversation (Yokosuka)
25 October 2023 - 17:30 - 19:45 (JST)
Capt. (Ret.) Teruaki Aizawa of the National Defense Academy of Japan will discuss the transition and development of Japan’s “Free and Open Indo-Pacific” policy. This talk will focus on its significance in building a new international order based on the "rule of law", with the management of relations with China in mind.
YCAPS-SPF Community Conversations Series (Sasebo In-Person)
19 Oct 2023 – 17:30 (Japan)
More than twenty years have passed since the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties (DOC) in 2002 launched an official negotiation towards signing of a binding code of conduct. The negotiation intermittently slowed and picked up pace as various events in the SCS and the changes in broader strategic contexts inevitably affected the negotiation. This talk will raise issues and consider whether China's intentional foot-dragging is the main cause of the prolonged negotiation. Dr. Yoichiro Sato will lead us in this discussion.
YCAPS-SPF Community Conversation (Fussa)
4 October 2023 – 18:15-20:45 (JST)
Captain Kentaro Furuya will provide a comprehensive overview of the Japan Coast Guard Control Guideline, recently formulated in April. Furthermore, he will delve into the emerging challenges that the Government of Japan presently confronts in this realm.
Civil-military Coordination on Disaster Relief Operations of the Japan Self-Defense Forces at Home and Abroad
YCAPS-SPF Community Conversations Series (Iwakuni)
26 September 2023 – 17:45-20:00 (JST)
Most Japanese people believe that the Japan Self-Defense Forces(JSDF)’s most important and primary mission is domestic disaster relief operations. The JSDF’s ardent commitment to domestic disaster relief works has been highlighted in the media regularly, projecting it as a national hero in this disaster-prone country. JSDF members have also been engaged in emergency relief activities abroad in cooperation with other militaries, civilian agencies, and International NGOs. Dr. Kiba will discuss this important role of the JSDF in this talk.
YCAPS-SPF Community Conversations Series (Misawa)
11 September 2023 – 17:30-20:00 (JST)
With the introduction of three security policy documents in December 2022, Japan became committed to the defense of Taiwan and ready to build the capabilities necessary to achieve that goal. If war breaks out across the Taiwan Strait, Japan will provide bases to the U.S. forces fighting for Taiwan and commit the Self-Defense Forces (SDF) to defend Taiwan. However, China will likely do everything to prevent Japan from helping Taiwan in case of war. What would this mean for the U.S.-Japan Alliance? This event will feature Dr. Narushige Michishita will discuss both the opportunities and challenges involved in Japan's decision to defend Taiwan.
YCAPS-SPF Community Conversation (Okinawa)
26 August 2023 – 13:30-16:00 (JST)
Today, Okinawa is the frontline of the great power rivalry in East Asia. How do Okinawan people see such international situations as well as thier thoughts on the US-Japan alliance? In this presentation, Dr. Fumiaki Nozoe will discuss Okinawa's view on the international order in East Asia after World War 2.
India in the Quad: The weakest link or a necessary pivot?
YCAPS-SPF Community Conversation (Yokosuka)
19 July 2023 – 18:00-20:00 (JST)
Along with the rise of China, the emergence of the quadrilateral security initiative (Quad) has been the most consequential geopolitical development in the Indo-Pacific in the last few decades. Yet, India's role in the Quad has come under great scrutiny, both on account of its capacity and motivations. Dr. Yogesh Joshi of the National University of Singapore will address both how the Quad fits into India's Indo-Pacific strategy and how India fits into the Quad.
Japan-Pacific Islands Countries Cooperation on Maritime Law Enforcement
YCAPS-SPF Community Conversation (Yokosuka)
18 July 2023 – 17:30-19:45 (JST)
Dr. Yurika Ishii of The National Defense Academy of Japan, will discuss recent developments concerning the cooperation between Japan and Pacific Islands countries. This talk will focus on its legal significance and the implication on the US-China power politics in the region.
The Chinese People's Liberation Army under the Xi Jinping Regime
YCAPS-SPF Community Conversation (Misawa)
28 June 2023 – 17:30-20:00 (JST)
Dr. Yusuke Anami of Tohoku University, who will lead an exploration of China's military build-up under Xi Jinping. China under the Xi Jinping regime is moving away from democratization and going back to individual dictatorship. Xi's close ties with the PLA is one major factor that allowed the concentration of power. Xi is determined to maintain China's military expansion. How did the PLA contribute to Xi's rise within the Chinese Communist Party? Why is Xi so eager to enhance the capabilities of the PLA? What is the condition of PLA's navy and air force? These are the questions that will be discussed during this talk.
Shaping and Operationalizing Joint Strategies and Readiness: Challenges for Japan's Defense Planning
YCAPS-SPF Community Conversation (Yokosuka)
21 June 2023 – 17:30-19:45 (JST)
In recent years, the military threats posed by China and North Korea are strengthening and changing in nature, leading to more complex implications for Japan. While Japan is taking some important steps in its defense planning under the National Security Strategy, National Defense Strategy, and the Defense Buildup Plan issued last year, Tokyo still faces myriad challenges going forward in sharpening and strengthening its defense strategies and readiness – particularly in the context of joint operations. In this seminar, Dr. Ryo Hinata-Yamaguchi will talk about the current and emerging threats and vulnerabilities for Japan, and more importantly, the key questions in its strategies and defense planning.
YCAPS-SPF Community Conversation Series (Okinawa)
9 June 2023, 17:30 - 19:45 JST
Taiwan and Okinawa have been purportedly among the sites over which great-power security competition is taking place and intensifying, with a likelihood of war in East Asia in the foreseeable future. How can we not only live with, but also think past, Westphalian international relations? In this seminar, Dr. Ching-Chang Chen of Ryukoku University will suggest that it is helpful to “turn international studies around,” i.e. to stop looking at the world only from the territorialized, state-centric, top-down, and great-powers-centered lens. The presentation will show that critical insights can be learned from a bottom-up orientation by turning our attention to the “margins” of sovereign states and excavating the discursive practices employed by relevant state and substate actors in framing, contesting, and (dis)assembling political claims over such “margins” as Okinawa and Taiwan. It will illustrate that post-Westphalian ways of thinking, doing, be(com)ing, and relating are already immanent/available in Okinawa-Taiwan relations.
YCAPS-SPF Community Conversation (Iwakuni)
4 June 2023 – 12:30-15:00 (Japan)
The historic visit of Commodore Matthew Calbraith Perry, Commander of U.S. East India Squadron on 8 July, 1853 marked a real turning point for Japan during the last part of a 600 year long feudal Shogunate reign. In this talk by Admiral Koda, he will look at some of the “behind the curtain” reasons why senior leadership and practical decision makers preferred the open nation policy. Admiral Koda will help to give us a more thorough understanding of some of the lesser known aspects at play behind the scenes during Admiral Perry’s historic visit and how without which, the Shogunate response to Perry’s visit could have been much worse and Japan itself could have fallen into unrepairable national separation.
Alliance Politics in an Age of Great Power Rivalry: Implications for the U.S.-Japan Alliance
YCAPS-SPF Community Conversations Series (Fussa)
Thurs. May 18 2023 - 17:30 (Japan)
From Europe to East Asia, the U.S. alliance system has been going through major transformation in the past few years. In order to reconcile the challenges for great power rivalry and eroding military dominance, the creation of military power and strategy has increasingly become the central concern in alliance politics. The U.S.-Japan alliance is no exception. Japan unveiled three new security documents in December 2022, including the nation’s first National Defense Strategy that defines Tokyo’s security policy for the coming decade. The seminar will unpack the new documents to illustrate how they focus on enhancing the overall military effectiveness of the alliance by pursuing an integrated and resilient force structure between the two nations. Moreover, it illuminates how Japan’s updated security policy has broader implications on debates over the role of alliances in U.S. grand strategy while also touching upon some of the potential challenges in its implementation.
YCAPS-SPF Community Conversations Series (Sasebo In-Person)
18 April 2023 – 17:30 (Japan)
In recent years, the military threats posed by China and North Korea are strengthening and changing in nature, leading to more complex implications for the US-Japan alliance. In particular, we not only see sharper strategies and greater military readiness by China and North Korea, but also the risks of a simultaneous conflict in the Taiwan Strait and the Korean Peninsula. Focusing on the naval domain, Ryo will talk about the current and emerging threats and vulnerabilities for the US-Japan alliance, and the measures needed going forward.
YCAPS-SPF Community Conversations Series (Fussa In-Person)
22 February 2023 – 18:30 (Japan)
After the end of Cold War, Japan has slowly expanded its security cooperation with countries other than the United States. Over the years, MOD/SDF have seen the benefits of using their assets to advance its strategic objectives, and the recent National Security Strategy has stressed the needs to advance such engagements abroad. This lecture glances at the general trends and characteristics of Japan's defense diplomacy and looks closely at the recent National Security Strategy to understand the future orientations and issues of Japan's defense diplomacy.
YCAPS-SPF Community Conversations Series (Okinawa In-Person)
13 February 2023 – 17:30 (Japan)
Japan unveiled three new security documents in December 2022, including the nation’s first National Defense Strategy that defines Tokyo’s security policy for the coming decade. Observers have described the documents as transformational that marks a critical juncture in Japan’s foreign policy. The question, however, is how so?
The seminar led by Takuya Matsuda will explore this question by unpacking the new documents to illustrate how they focus on enhancing the overall military effectiveness of the alliance by pursuing an integrated and resilient force structure between the two nations. Japan’s updated security policy, in fact, has broader implications on debates over the role of alliances in U.S. grand strategy. The presentation will also touch upon the implications drawn from the new strategy—especially the concept of “deterrence by resilience”—for Okinawa, including how it may relate to Washington’s decision to remove two squadrons of F-15C/D fighters at Kadena Air Base in October 2022.
YCAPS-SPF Community Conversations Series (Iwakuni In-Person)
25 February 2023 – 15:30 (Japan)
Come join us for a presentation on the history of pirates in Japan, with a focus on the nearby Seto Inland Sea. The role and character of pirates differ across regions and eras through history. Although “kaizoku” is often translated to “pirates” in English, pirates and kaizoku are not the same. Like samurai and ninja, kaizoku have a uniquely Japanese history. Mr. Ken Tanaka will teach you about local Japanese history through kaizoku and spread the love of kaizoku around the world.
The Japan-U.S. Alliance and the Senkaku Islands: A Source of Conflict or Strategically Important?
YCAPS-SPF Community Conversations Series (Sasebo In-Person)
31 January 2023 – 18:30 (Japan)
YCAPS & the Sasakawa Peace Foundation are pleased to announce the next event in the Community Conversations seminar series focused on the Sasebo Community! This event will feature Dr. Kyoko Hatakeyama, of the University of Niigata who will lead us in a discussion around the importance and volatility of the Senkaku Islands.
The Japan-US alliance is facing a new challenge: China’s growing military presence in the maritime domain. China’s assertiveness challenges the current regional order and Japan’s territory—the Senkaku Islands. Examining the impacts of the Senkaku issue on the alliance, Dr. Hatakeyama will argue that the Senkaku islands are strategically important for the alliance but are also a source of conflict.
China's Quest for Control of the Cognitive Domain and Grey Zone Situations
YCAPS-SPF Community Conversations Series (Yokosuka In-Person)
25 January 2023 – 17:30 (Japan)
How is China conducting cognitive domain operations and maritime gray zone operations? China has utilized non-military means such as psychological warfare and maritime paramilitary forces to achieve strategic and tactical goals. Most notably, the Xi regime has enhanced the use of such means through sweeping organizational reforms. Understanding these actions will provide a clearer view of the strategic challenges posed by China. Dr. Shinji Yamaguchi of the National Institute for Defense Studies (NIDS) will lead us in a discussion on this important regional challenge.
Has Japan Finally Become a Reliable Partner? A Look at the Evolution of Japan's Security Policy
YCAPS-SPF Community Conversations Series (Misawa In-Person)
23 January 2023 – 17:30 (Japan)
The Eisenhower administration was worried about Japan’s neutralism even during the 1950s. In addition, the powerful feelings of pacifism within Japan kept the Japanese military budget low. Such a policy was allowed to continue because the US was powerful, and it did not have to expect any military contribution by Japan. As a result, in 1978, Japan and the US crafted defense guidelines to defend Japanese territories but they barely discussed what to do with neighboring areas. Such times of contented acceptance of Japan’s passivity ended many decades ago and the US now expects Japan to share responsibilities, especially for regional security.
This talk by Dr. Nakatsuji will explore and clarify the current state of Japan-US security collaboration and discuss the evolution of Japan’s security policy.
"Hakkodasan" The World's Worst Mountaineering Disaster
YCAPS-SPF Community Conversations Series (Misawa In-Person)
14 December 2022 – 17:30 (Japan)
YCAPS & the Sasakawa Peace Foundation are pleased to announce the next event in the Community Conversations seminar series focused on the Misawa Community! This event will feature Satoshi Miyata(Director) and Robert Jefferson (Narrator) of the 2014 documentary film "Mount Hakkoda".
In 1902, 210 soldiers of the 5th Infantry Regiment of the Japanese Imperial Army set out on a 12 mile winter march around Hakkodasan to Tashiro Hot Spring. This is not an arduous mountain route. It should have been an easy approach to the hot spring at Tashiro. However, at a mere altitude of around 2,000 feet, the 5th regiment met with a disaster that claimed the lives of 199 men. The location of this disaster is only 35 miles from Misawa. What happened in Hakkodasan? What was the real cause of this disaster?
Modernizing Japan: The Role of Choshu in Japan's Nation-Building Process
YCAPS-SPF Community Conversations Series (Iwakuni In-Person)
10 December 2022 – 10:00 (Japan)
YCAPS & the Sasakawa Peace Foundation are pleased to announce the next event in the Community Conversations seminar series in the Iwakuni Community! This event will feature Professor Yuichiro Shimizu who will lead us on a journey through the role of Choshu in the modernization of Japan.
The Choshu-han has been said to have been the core power of the Meiji Revolution. So, what role did Choshu play in the nation-building process? Through discussing both prominent historical figures as well as major figures of the Meiji-born generation, Professor Shimizu will clarify the outsized role that Choshu has had in the development of modern Japan.
Standoff on the Korean Peninsula: What's Next?
YCAPS-SPF Community Conversations Series (Yokosuka In-Person)
5 December 2022 – 17:30 (Japan)
YCAPS & the Sasakawa Peace Foundation are pleased to announce the next event in the Community Conversations seminar series in the Yokosuka Community! This event will feature Dr. Narushige Michishita.
While North Korea continues to launch missiles and further its nuclear employment ambitions, South Korea is rapidly building its capabilities around the “Korean Massive Punishment and Retaliation” strategy. Who will prevail? What can the United States and Japan do to maintain peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula? Dr. Narushige Michishita of GRIPS will discuss the changing regional strategic equation and the role of the US-Japan Alliance within it.
China-Russia Relations in the Wake of the Russia-Ukraine War in 2022
YCAPS-SPF Community Conversations Series (Yokota In-Person)
16 November 2022 – 18:30 (Japan)
YCAPS & the Sasakawa Peace Foundation are pleased to announce the next event in the Community Conversations seminar series focused on the Yokota Community! This event will feature Mr. Taisuke Abiru, who will present on China-Russia relations in the wake of the Russia-Ukraine war in 2022. We will also be joined by Dr. Stephen Nagy who will join us and give comments.
Russia's national identity is that it must be a great power. Therefore, even after the collapse of the Soviet Union, it is still unacceptable for Russia to become a junior partner of the United States. The same would be true for Russia's relations with China, which the United States now sees as its only global competitor. However, such relations between Russia and China have started changing dramatically in the wake of the Russo-Ukraine war that broke out this year
The U.S.-Japan Alliance's Amphibious Future
YCAPS-SPF Community Conversations Series (Okinawa In-Person)
16 November 2022 – 18:30 (Japan)
The U.S.-Japan Alliance has been a keystone in building Japan's amphibious capabilities. Please Join us for our inaugural seminar in Okinawa looking forward towards further partnerships between the U.S. Marines and the Japanese Self Defense Force in amphibious capabilities. This event will feature General (ret.) Nozomu Yoshitomi. We will also be joined by Lieutenant General (ret.) Wallace "Chip" Gregson Jr. as a discussant who will add comments and views on the topic.
The Life and Times of Heihachiro Togo
YCAPS-SPF Community Conversations Series (Sasebo In-Person)
14 November 2022 – 18:30 (Japan)
YCAPS & the Sasakawa Peace Foundation are pleased to announce the next event in the Community Conversations seminar series in Sasebo! This event will feature Mr. Hiroshige Togo, a JMSDF veteran and grandson of Admiral Heihachiro Togo who will present on the life and times of Admiral Heihachiro Togo.
Mr. Togo will look at Admiral Togo's childhood education in Satsuma, the Admiral's experiences in the Boshin War, and give his family perspective on one of the most celebrated Japanese figures in modern history, painting a picture of what Japanese society was like from the end of the Edo period and into the Showa era.
America Encounters Hiroshima Again
YCAPS-SPF Community Conversations Series (via Zoom)
29 September 2022 – 19:00 (Japan)
Hiroshima was a symbol of Imperial Japan in the early 20th century. After August 1945, Hiroshima became a symbol of ambiguity for US-Japan relations. After former President Obama’s visit and now the coming G-7 summit, Dr. Koji Murata will discuss how Hiroshima may be poised to become a symbol of rapprochement between the two countries.
The Role of Misawa in the U.S. - Japan Alliance
YCAPS-SPF Community Conversations Series (via Zoom)
28 September 2022 – 19:00 (Japan)
YCAPS & the Sasakawa Peace Foundation are pleased to announce the next event in the Community Conversations seminar series focused on Misawa. This event event will feature General Sadamasa Oue. General Oue will draw upon his experience as a Commander of the Northern Air Defense Command at Misawa Airbase to talk about Misawa's role in the U.S.-Japan Alliance in the past as well as a view of the future.
Japanese Innovation and the Okinawa Institute of Science & Technology
YCAPS-SPF Community Conversations Series (via Zoom)
26 September 2022 – 19:00 (Japan)
In the 20th century, Japan was known as a land of technological innovation with its electronic "gadgets" fascinating the world. However, there is a sense that it has lost its innovative edge in the modern era. Yet, Japan still possesses remarkable resources in terms of technological and scientific know-how. Anna Nagamine, Manager of Business Development Section, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST) will describe Japan's national policies to promote innovation and the roles of sci-tech "hubs" such as OIST. A native Okinawan, she will also describe the specific challenges and opportunities the current era of innovation pose for her prefecture.
Development of Yokosuka as a Naval Port City: 1860s - 1960s
YCAPS-SPF Community Conversations Series (via Zoom)
7 September 2022 – 19:00 (Japan)
Before the construction of the shipyards in the 1860s, Yokosuka was just a small village. However, after building, it became one of Japan's largest naval port cities, shaping Yokosuka's identity today. Dr. Inayoshi will explore Yokosuka's development process before WWII and how they utilized its heritage as a naval port after WWII.
Misawa's Role in Winning the Cold War: Implications for the Competition with China
YCAPS-SPF Community Conversations Series (via Zoom)
27 July 2022 – 19:00 (Japan)
YCAPS & the Sasakawa Peace Foundation are pleased to announce the continuation of the Community Conversations seminar series in Misawa. This event will feature Professor Narushige Michishita. Prof. Michishita will provide an overview of US-Japan combined air operations during the Cold War, and how that history relates to today’s competition with China.
The Significance of Yokosuka Base
YCAPS-SPF Community Conversations Series (via Zoom)
22 July 2022 – 19:00 (Japan)
YCAPS & the Sasakawa Peace Foundation are pleased to announce the continuation of the Community Conversations seminar series in Yokosuka. This event will feature Mr. Bonji Ohara, senior fellow at the Sasakawa Peace Foundation and security expert studying the US-Japan Alliance and Japanese security policy. Mr. Ohara will discuss the history and significance of Yokosuka base to the US-Japan Alliance.
The Ukraine War's impacts on the Extended Deterrence: Implications for USFJ
YCAPS-SPF Community Conversations Series (via Zoom)
14 July 2022 – 19:00 (Japan)
YCAPS & the Sasakawa Peace Foundation are pleased to announce the return of the Community Conversations seminar series in Yokota. The inaugural event will feature Dr. Tomonori Yoshizaki. Dr. Yoshizaki will discuss how the war in Ukraine may impact US-Japan bilateral coordination including extended deterrence not only in Europe but also USFJ and the Indo-Pacific.
The JMSDF Iwakuni Air Base: An Introductory Overview
YCAPS-SPF Community Conversations Series (via Zoom)
11 July 2022 – 19:00 (Japan)
YCAPS & the Sasakawa Peace Foundation are pleased to announce the debut of the Community Conversations seminar series in Iwakuni. The inaugural event will feature CDR Mariyo Murakami. CDR Murakami (Leader of Flight Division 811,Air Electronic Warfare Squadron 8) will discuss the history and significance of JMSDF Iwakuni Air Base and give an overview of the contemporary role of the Air Base as part of the US- Japan alliance.
History of Japanese Mine Warfare and "Kizuna" of Japan-U.S. Mine Warfare Forces
YCAPS-SPF Community Conversations Series (via Zoom)
06 July 2022 – 19:00 (Japan)
YCAPS & the Sasakawa Peace Foundation are pleased to announce the return of the Community Conversations seminar series in Sasebo. The inaugural event will feature Mr. Yasuhiro Kawakami. Mr. Kawakami (Rear Admiral Ret.) has served 32 years in the JMSDF, primarily in the Mine Warfare and Amphibious Warfare fields. He has also served five times as a commander and four times in Sasebo. He will discuss the history of Japanese Mine Warfare and the close cooperation between the Japan and U.S. Mine Warfare Forces after W.W.Ⅱ.
Okinawa in Japan's Paradoxical Security Policy and Politics
YCAPS-SPF Community Conversations Series (via Zoom)
22 June 2022 – 19:00 (Japan)
YCAPS & the Sasakawa Peace Foundation are pleased to announce the return of the Community Conversations seminar series in Okinawa. The inaugural event will feature Mr. Tsuneo Watanabe. Mr. Watanabe has observed Japanese security policy and politics as a researcher in both US and Japanese thinktanks for decades. He will discuss the history of Japanese security policy and politics in the context of the US military facility in Okinawa.
Additional Events to Be Announced Soon!
